Canon Launches EF 50mm f1.8 STM Lens: The ‘Nifty Fifty’ Update.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM – Canon’s ‘Nifty Fifty’ lens has earned a reputation for being a surprisingly decent lens, especially for the sub €200.00 price point. It has also gained a bit of a cult following from photographers that are truly surprised at the high image quality and the ability to shoot with a wide-open f/1.8 aperture. Now Canon has announced an update to the incredibly popular EF 50mm f/1.8 II with the all-new Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 STM lens.

New ‘Nifty Fifty’ EF 50mm f/1.8 STM.

Canon is claiming that the new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM offers an improved design, a new super spectra lens coating, a 7-blade aperture and STM technology for smooth and near-silent focusing. What also seems to set this new ‘Nifty Fifty’ apart from its predecessor is that it will come complete with a metal lens mount, which will dramatically improve the build quality of this popular lens. The new EF 50mm f/1.8 STM will have a minimum focusing distance of 0.35 m or 1.15 ft. It will also weigh 160g, compared to 130g of the pervious version. This is likely due to the addition of the metal lens mount and should be a welcome improvement to the feel and balance of the lens.

Why Shoot With The ‘Nifty Fifty’?

Although there have been a few horror stories of the previous 50mm f/1.8 II falling apart in photographers’ hands after a knock or drop, the original ‘Nifty Fifty’ offered a really nice image quality at an even nicer low price. Obviously you won’t get ‘L’ lens quality but for a consumer or mid-range Canon DSLR, it is a perfect match. For an APS-C sized sensor (non full-frame cameras) the ‘Nifty Fifty’ is an ideal portrait lens and the large f/1.8 aperture means you can get a beautifully blurred background without breaking the bank.

With the improved build quality and the addition of near-silent focusing, the Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM should make a worthy addition to any camera bag as long as it can live up to the reputation of its predecessor.

The updated EF 50mm f/1.8 STM will be available before the end of May 2015 with an SRP of £129.99/€189.99.